In 5+ years of fairly regular and consistent blogging, I can count on one hand the number of posts that were actually planned ahead. I think that planning ahead could make the whole enterprise easier sometimes -- especially when one is striving for some blogging regularity. I often think about planning ahead and even commence to plan ahead (usually by taking photographs of many different things).

I commenced planning ahead on Saturday. I remember the thought running through my head as I walked through the tall grass and shot through the back door of the greenhouse. "I'm on my way to Knitting Camp (a post), but this greenhouse might make a good future post -- photos, at least." Yeah. There are at least five separate things in yesterday's post -- the mural, the greenhouse, rural small towns and landscape, family history and cemeteries, knitting camp and old and new friends.

I guess I can't hold back. When I begin to write a post, it's like the floodgate has opened and everything that's been in or on my mind comes rushing out -- it's very difficult (maybe even impossible) to stop it! It's kind of organic, too, in that sometimes what I think will be the main thing gets overtaken by something else and the whole post is hijacked -- by my own hand! In the interest of space, length and time, I might not write everything I initially thought I would, or post all of the photos, but I have to write about everything all at once! Like I might forget? I sometimes think I'll get back to a subject, expand it (or expound on it) further, but that's pretty rare. I'm spontaneous... other stuff comes up. I might also have some personal issues with schedules and programming, maybe also with accountability, more likely with authority. Ten Things on Tuesday, Random Wednesday, Eye Candy Friday, Saturday Sky... they often happen (randomly) on any day other than the designated day. If only for the sake of regularity, it would seem logical to embrace those things!

So, I'm just thinking out loud... Of course I know that it's my blog and I can do as I wish, when I wish, about which whatever I wish, however I wish to do it. Heh. One thing I've been striving for lately, however, is to have photos in every post -- a few have slipped by without, but I'm going to do better. The problem is that photos can be a pain in the butt and when I use up all my recent and new subject matter (with photos) in a post on Monday, it leaves nothing for Tuesday.

This morning I remembered that I have a camera phone at my disposal nearly every minute of every day!

Mondays are particularly active on the community mural and yesterday was no exception. This has been a favorite part from the very beginning and I'm delighted to see it coming to life!

I do tend to plan my posts. I feel like I'll run out of stuff to say if I don't. And if I have an idea for a post I'll write a few sentences and then save it as a draft. I remember you once called using one of these posts pulling one out of the freezer and I always think of you when I do that!

You blog exactly the way I blog, and honestly I think that's why I am able to blog every day. If I planned it and made it fit some sort of formula or try for perfection, I'm pretty sure I would end up resenting it.

I find that even if I don't think I have anything to say, just opening up the software and starting to write usually makes something spew forth. In the end, it might not be anything like I started with, but something usually happens.

This was the second audio book that I've "read," and I enjoyed it very much -- love a memoir read by the author. I've enjoyed Anthony Bourdain on TV and though I'm sure I'd have heard his voice in my head as I read the words, it was trul...